Something That Never Comes
by Caught In A Simple Game
Summary: Tim Speedle didn't like Lindy Sullivan at first, and she despised him. He didn't know she'd be the first and last girl to get under his skin  in more ways than one.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Here's the new CSI Fic! This is going to be a sort-of spin off from my first story, "Falling Into You", which was a Ryan Wolfe fic. Check it out and review if you have some time. I feel like this one starts out a little rough, but I get worried about new fics whenever I post them, so it may be me over-criticizing myself. Anyway, I'll stop rambling. Enjoy!_

"Excuse me, ma'am, but this is a crime scene. See the yellow tape and the CSI jackets all over the place?"

Tim Speedle tried not to let his frustration show through too much at the petite brunette who was walking down the sidewalk -- on the wrong side of the yellow tape. She turned to him, put her hands on her hips, and gave him a look that meant he was in for it. He figured that he could hold her back if it came to that; she couldn't have been more than one-ten, and her stature stood unbreaking, yet small. She pulled the ponytail holder off of her wrist and tied her long hair back, as if getting ready for some action.

"It's a sidewalk," she answer indignantly.

"Wrong. It _was_ a sidewalk. Unfortunately, somebody decided to kill that guy over there, and since there are bloody footprints on the sidewalk a few feet from right where you stand, it has been transformed into a crime scene."

"Power trip much?"

"Excuse me?" Speed was a smart man, and he was used to dealing with a lot of people who were more than a couple steps below his intelligence and comprehension level; one subject he wasn't as learned in was how to deal with people who had an attitude.

"Look guy, there's a lot nicer way to get people to do what you want them to do without being sarcastic or rude."

"Here's the thing. That guy has a family who wants answers as to why he is now laying dead, out in the open. I'm trying to get them those answers. Unless, of course, you want me to let them know you're the one who impeded our crime scene and delayed us in finding the murderer."

"Impeded? You think you can get past me with those big words? Nice try."

Speed sighed. "We could sit here and carry this swearing match out for the rest of the day, but I'm done. Quite frankly, I'm not used to, nor am I fond of the idea of having someone openly argue with me anywhere, least of all on my _crime scene_."

"Yes , yes, it's a crime scene. Pretty sure you've established this."

"Obviously you and I are not each other's favorite people. Yay for us. Can you just move on, please?"

"Oh, I'll move on," she taunted. She set off in the same direction she had been going down the sidewalk, and Speed stopped her just two steps from the bloody footprints.

"Stop. Stop right there. If you go one step further, I swear to all that is crime in Miami, I will arrest you for obstruction of justice."

"You wouldn't."

"I will drive you to the jail myself."

She looked thoughtful for a moment, then decided to push her chances. She took one step towards the imprints, and was just about to step over them so as not to interfere with any of the print when two strong arms came from behind her, somehow flipped her in the process of picking her up, and threw her over a shoulder.

"You get to wait in the car now, honey," Speed informed her, in a sugary, sarcastic tone.

"Put me down, you jerk! You can't do this! I'm filing a complaint! Don't you have some kind of supervisor out here?" She kicked and screamed for all she was worth until he dropped her down on the passenger seat of the Hummer.

"Stay here," he ordered, somewhat out of breath. "I'll be back when I'm done processing my --"

"Your crime scene, I got it," she snapped. Speed slammed the door of the Hummer, causing his jail-bound suspect to jump a little.

"People just don't listen," he muttered to himself, treading back under the yellow tape. Eric and Horatio both gave him looks of question, but he ignored them and continued his search for trace and anything else that could be sent back to the lab.

That is how Tim Speedle met Lindy Sullivan, the first girl to ever really get under his skin -- in more ways than one.

-----

Three days later, Tim answered a call from the front desk of the crime lab. He looked around and didn't see anyone he knew, so he asked the receptionist.

"Hey, you said I had someone waiting out here?"

"Right there." The receptionist pointing to a bench Tim had just glanced over, and he mentally groaned when he saw the petite brunette tapping her foot, arms crossed over her chest. Slowly, he approached her.

"Miss Sullivan. I honestly cannot express how I feel about seeing you again."

Lindy glared at him. "I lost my job because of you."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Thanks for dropping by, I'll be on my way." He turned to go, but she caught his arm.

"I need you to talk to my boss, tell him that I was here, all day. He doesn't believe me."

"What do I look like, your father? I don't write notes. He wants to know, he can contact us himself."

"Yeah, right. You try telling that to someone who owns a nightclub. Waitresses get paid crap for a crap job, not to mention they're about a dime a dozen."

"If it was such a crap job, then why do you need it?" Tim asked condescendingly. He watched her eyes light up with anger and for the first time realized the royal blue of her iris was outlined in a light shade of green.

"I'm trying to go back to school, not that it's any of your business. Like you said the other day, we're not each other's favorite people, yay for us. You really think that I would come to you with this if I had any other choice?"

"You're breaking my heart," Tim smirked, then walked away. Lindy clenched her teeth, but left, knowing the trip had been in vain. She picked her keys up off the bench and stormed out of the lab.

"That looked like fun," Eric commented, joining him in a processing room. Tim shook his head.

"Nightlife in Miami is apparently good money."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, she, uh, lost her job because she was here the other day, and wants me to tell her boss it's the truth because he doesn't believe her. She got off with no charges on her record, so she's gotten all the favors she's going to get out of this lab."

"She's cute."

Tim gave him The Look. "Can we solve a murder here? Please?"

-----

"We're going to go dance," Eric informed Tim and pointed to a blonde girl just a few feet away. Tim nodded and took another sip of his beer. He switched chairs at the table so he could have full view of the dance floor, possibly choose a lady for the night. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted one of the girls who worked the bar coming his direction. Fortunately, for the bar they were at, he could either ask her for a dance or a beer. The "waitresses" here were hired to not only serve the patrons, but also keep them entertained. It was a Coyote Ugly done dance club style. Making a quick decision, he opted for the beer instead of the dance.

"Excuse me, miss," he yelled over the music. The waitress turned with a huge smile on her face, although it faded the second she saw him.

"You," Lindy sneered.

"I see you found another job," Tim offered.

"No thanks to you. What did you want? If you think you're getting a dance, you're crazy."

"I'll just have another beer." Lindy looked at the bottle in his hand to note what beer he was drinking and returned with a new one just a couple of minutes later. She slammed it on the table, and took his money.

"Thanks," he mumbled.

"At least you're the last customer for the night. Have a nice life, officer."

"Oh, you too." Speed watched her balk and turn back to him; he never would have guessed that she could drag him anywhere until she took his hand and took him to the dance floor with significant force.

"Dance with me," she ordered him. He was about to protest, but hadn't even gotten a word out before she turned her back to him and leaned against his chest, dancing quite provocatively. Through the grinds and turns that she performed, he felt something stirring in him. He wasn't a big dancer, so he let her do most of the work, still wondering what was going on, exactly. She spun around to face him, glanced over his shoulder, and must've seen something she didn't want to see. Just as quickly as she'd had him on the floor, she was gone. His eyes followed her to the bar where she handed another girl some money, said something urgent, and then immediately made her way out of the club. Tim spun around and watched two burly men lock their gaze on Lindy and make a beeline for her route out of the bar.

Lindy looked behind her before she exited the club and saw the two men had fixed their sights on her. Randy and Bill were two regulars who were toeing the line on harassment just since the last week she had worked the bar. The previous night they had informed her she would find trouble if they caught her with anyone else; just the tone they took scared her. When she'd spotted them first walk into the club, she grabbed Tim, hoping for some kind of deterrence. Randy and Bill continued closing in on her though, and that's when she left Tim and the bar. Monica, her boss, had been understanding when she handed over the tips she had made that night and told Monica why she was leaving in such a hurry. She headed out onto the sidewalk and walked north of the club. A warm Miami breeze made its way through her hair and sent chills down her spine. She hugged herself out of paranoia, and continually looked over her shoulder. She hadn't made it very far at all when she heard the two men yelling her name from behind. The heels Lindy was wearing had to come off, and she figured she could use them to protect herself if necessary. Her mind was so caught up in fear that she didn't hear them running up behind her, and was taken by surprise when they pulled her into a nearby alley.

"Lindy, we told you what would happen if we saw you with anyone else," Randy growled, backhanding her.

"I have to talk to other guys to make a living," she defended. Tears stung her eyes, but she tried not to let them fall.

"You could've made plenty of money off of us, sweetheart," Bill replied. He pushed her against the brick wall of a building, but she was standing sideways, so she hit cheek first. The brick was ragged, and she felt the pain as a sharp corner gashed along her cheekbone. He grabbed her arms and pushed her back against the wall. Lindy had no idea what was next, but knew she wasn't going to like it.

"Hey." A stern voice made all three of them look over to see who had found the scene in progress. Lindy felt relief wash over her when she recognized Tim, despite the fact that the feeling was followed by a wave of displeasure due to their previous encounters.

"Who are you, buddy?" Randy asked.

"Tim Speedle, Miami-Dade CSI. Both of you need to walk away, with your hands up. You're under arrest."

"You're going to arrest us?" Bill laughed and released his hold of Lindy. "You and who else."

"Eric Delko. How are you, gentlemen?" Eric showed up next to his best friend, wielding his badge. "Cops are right down the street, they're on the way to come get you."

Five minutes later, the arrest was done. Lindy stood, embarrassed and throbbing from the pain in her face, waiting where Tim had told her to. She thought he would make her give a statement or something; had she known the squabble she was in for, she never would have stuck around.

"You need to get to a hospital for that cut," Tim told her, no sarcasm or meanness at all in the statement.

"I'll just go home and clean it up."

"Neosporin isn't going to fix that cut."

Lindy rolled her eyes. "I appreciate what you just did, but I don't need you to save me anymore. I'm going home."

Tim stopper her with an arm across her stomach as she tried to walk past. "That cut is bad. You're going to end up with a nasty scar if you don't get it taken care of."

"I don't have insurance, all right? I'll put a tight bandage on it or something, but I can't go to the hospital."

"Don't make me arrest you again," Tim warned.

"For what? Denying medical attention? Last time I checked, that is my choice."

"No, for leaving the scene of a crime before you're told you can leave. Another obstruction of justice, just that quick."

"Then pull out the handcuffs, buddy, because I am going home." Lindy made her final move to go, and found herself in a familiar situation; Tim picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, kicking and screaming to be put back down. Eric was already off with the girl from the club, so Tim waved a quick good-bye and hailed a cab. Lindy hit the seat with a soft_ thud_, then he got in and gave the cabbie the address.

Fifteen minutes later, the cab pulled up to a nice apartment building and Tim handed the driver a wad of cash. He opened the door and motioned for Lindy to get out and follow him. She seemed to hesitate, but at the threat of being thrown over his shoulder again, she obeyed. He headed up the steps to the second floor and unlocked the door to the third apartment on the left. Lindy felt herself shaking, and she didn't know if it was from the cool breeze or the pain of the cut. Part of it she was sure was from the uncertainty of where he had just brought her.


	2. Chapter 2

"So, where am I?" she asked quietly, hearing her voice shake just as bad as the rest of her body. Tim turned a lamp on in the living room, and then flipped the switch to the kitchen light. He motioned for her to follow him into the kitchen and for the first time, he got to see the insecure side of Lindy.

"This is my apartment. CSI's have homes, too." Tim set about getting an ice pack for the side of her face that had been backhanded, but not before catching the wave of relief that showed on Lindy's face at his familiar sarcasm. "Wait right here. I'll be right back."

Lindy hopped up on the counter waiting for him to return. She looked around at the neatly arranged kitchen; it wasn't feminine by any means, but definitely more put together than what she would have guessed for Tim Speedle. Books and newspapers stacked here and there, unfinished cups of coffee and glasses of some brown liquor would have followed her imagination better. Before she had the chance to think on it much more, Tim returned with a small tube in hand.

"This is like medical superglue. We'll put some in the cut and it'll bring the two sides together so that if you end up with any scar at all, it will be minimal. You can try some Vitamin E oil on it to prevent the scar, actually." Gently, he applied the adhesive to her cut. She winced only a little bit at first because it stung to have the cut touched, but by the time he was done, the only thing she felt was surprised at how nice he was being to her.

"Thank you," Lindy told him quietly. "And I really did mean it when I said I appreciated you taking care of that scene in the alley. I know that from the times we've run in to each other I may seem like a mess, but my life has always kind of been like that."

Tim nodded. "It's okay. My job is to help, and that's all I'm doing. I don't like to see people get hurt." He moved her hand holding the ice away from her face so he could look at her cheek and eye.

"Is it bad?"

"Not as bad as I thought it would be. You'll be a little black and blue on this outside corner of your eye, and probably a little bruised further back from your cheekbone, but at least it's not swollen." Tim let his hand linger on her face for a moment longer than necessary; it was long enough for Lindy to realize that he had moved in closer to her and was standing between her legs. She put her hand over his where it was still placed on her face and leaned in to it. Tim responded by placing his forehead against hers, and felt a huge weight of tension leave the girl's body.

"It's been a long time since I've been with someone," she whispered. "It's been a long time since someone took care of me. I never would have thought it would be you to break that streak."

Tim moved his face away from hers and moved his other hand up to cradle her face. Delko was right, although he hadn't wanted to admit it until just now; she was cute. When he looked at her now, all vulnerability and invitation, she was beautiful. He tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and let his fingers play along her jaw line until the hand came back to cradle her face. Unable to stand the feelings that were welling up in her and causing her to shake again, Lindy closed her eyes and sighed. She was only able to count to one before his lips were lightly brushing against hers, almost as if I had happened by mistake. Immediately, she opened her eyes, and found a set of maple-colored eyes staring at her with the same shock as what she was feeling. Not even an hour ago, she detested this man, but now all she wanted was to be in his arms and feel him close to her. That couldn't be right, could it? _Surely I must be dreaming,_ she thought to herself. Confirmation that the event was indeed not a dream came when Tim kissed her again, this time with more fervor and for longer so that she could return the gesture. Her arms found their way around his body so that she could bring him closer. For months she had felt so alone, and all she needed just then was to know that someone else existed. She needed to know that someone existed just to be with her, even if it was just for that night.

Tim felt the urgency Lindy needed in her kiss, and he had no problem obliging her. Adrenaline was running through his body now, and all he could think of was how wonderful it felt to kiss her. At any moment he could wake up and it would all be a dream, but until then, he was going to live in this moment. He tightened his hold around her body and lifted her off of the counter, setting her gently on her own two feet. The kissing never ceased as he backed her into the bedroom, both of them losing several articles of clothing along the way. Tim turned the blinds so that only moonlight shone through the windows, and then returned to her. He was in only an undershirt and jeans, while Lindy stood in her bra and jeans, although her jeans were unbuttoned. Both of them were breathing heavily, coming up for air after several minutes of kissing.

Lindy felt like she needed to say something to fill the dead air while they stared at each other, but she couldn't find the words. She wanted so badly to explain that she didn't sleep around; she wasn't your average waitress who was so easily wooed. She wanted to tell him that he didn't have to do this. She wanted to tell him she wasn't really looking for a one night stand. All of that came together into one moment of pause, wondering what she was getting herself into. Tim thought he saw her hesitate, and took a step back.

"Are you okay?" He wanted this, but wasn't about to have her go into it unwillingly.

Lindy nodded, and stepped closer to him. She pulled him closer to her, and kissed him square on the mouth. Tim gladly returned the kiss, and he backed her up to the bed. She arched her back up for him so that he could shimmy her pants down to the floor, and when she crawled up to the pillows at the top of the bed, he stripped down to only boxers. Lindy was taking deep breaths as he settled in between her legs, so he asked again if she was okay.

"It's been awhile," she replied. "I'm just a little overwhelmed."

Tim kissed her forehead. "Just take it easy."

Lindy nodded and unhooked her bra from behind and threw it next to the bed. She slipped her thumbs into the sides of the boy shorts she had on and slid them down her legs. Tim shed his boxers then slipped the blanket over them. There was no turning back now.

--

The warm Miami sun peeked through the windows the next morning, urging Lindy out of bed. She sighed and let her eyes flutter open; she did not recognize where she was at first, until she shifted onto her back and remembered the events of the previous night. Her face was sore, but the rest of her felt relaxed. She looked over, hoping to find Tim, but instead found the bed empty. She sighed, and padded to the bathroom, realizing he was gone. She went back to the bedroom and pulled on her clothes before heading to the kitchen. Her phone was blinking, letting her know of missed calls and messages. There was a yellow post-it stuck to the counter next to her phone. _Tim Speedle 305.352.4623._ Lindy had to read it a couple times to really believe he had left the number. Shoving the paper into her pocket, she flipped open her phone. Five missed calls: two from her boss Monica and the other three from her roommate and best friend, Kerry. Monica had left one email to make sure she was okay; Kerry had left one voicemail to leave some information about a party Lindy was supposed to attend after work, and two more frantic about not having heard from her. Lindy called Kerry as soon as she listened to the last voicemail, feeling bad about leaving her friend in the dark.

"Where have you been?" Kerry exclaimed, sounding like she was just waking up.

"Well, some stuff happened last night," Lindy said, not able to stop her smile.

"Must have," Kerry replied. "Where are you? What happened?"

"You remember that jerk cop I told you about from the other day?"

"Did they bring back the charges?"

Lindy laughed. "Hardly. Actually, I'm at his apartment right now …" She trailed off, hoping to hint enough that Kerry would pick up on what had happened.

"You're kidding?"

"Nope, I'm not." Lindy recounted the events from the club, and then back at Tim's apartment.

"Listen to you. You're into him."

Lindy shrugged, even though she knew Kerry couldn't see her. "We'll see."

"Whatever. You coming home?"

"Yeah, in a little bit.

"All right, I'll see you later then."

Lindy hung up the phone and sipped at her coffee. When the coffee was done, she switched off the machine and redressed, making sure she had everything. She was worried about not locking up, but once she found the last post-it on the front door, her worries were put aside. _Don't worry about locking up. I'm going to be home around nine tonight_. Lindy slid the last note in her pocket with the others, wondering if the second sentence was an invitation or just fact.

--

Eric Delko watched Tim Speedle enter the trace room, whistling. It took him by surprise; Tim enjoyed his job, he knew this, but it was just a paycheck for him. It wasn't a passion the way it was for the other CSI's. If it wasn't the job, it could only be one other thing.

"Someone got lucky last night. Who was it?"

"What do you mean?" Tim asked, actually managing to feign bewilderment.

Eric chuckled. "C'mon, man, you're whistling, at work of all places. Let's hear it."

Tim set down the piece of fabric he'd been investigating and gave in. "The obstruction girl with an attitude."

"You're kidding right? The other day you were mentally shooting me with daggers just saying she was cute and last night you nailed her?"

Tim threw his hands up, almost defensively. "Hey, hey, I didn't 'nail' her, okay? I took her back to my apartment because she didn't have insurance to go to the hospital to get her face stitched up and one thing led to another."

"Who made the first move?"

Tim sighed. "I … may have made the first move."

Eric could no longer suppress the deep laughter he was trying to hold in. "I thought you couldn't stand her."

"Yeah, well, once you get past the attitude and all that, she's kind of nice."

"Well, did you get her number when she left this morning?" Eric asked. Tim only looked at him. "She didn't leave?"

"No, I let her sleep. She just looked really peaceful and I didn't want to wake her. She had a rough night. How do I know if she has a safe place to go to?"

"Well if she leaves before you get home, she's gone."

Tim shook his head. "No, I left her my number."

"Oh man …"

"I know, I know, it's not at all me, but it just seemed like the thing to do," he defended himself. Eric nodded in reply and gave his friend a playful punch to the shoulder.

"Maybe she's the one, eh?"

Tim shot him an annoyed look. "She's just a girl. Are you done giving me the third degree now?"

"All right, all right. Let's get to work."

--

Tim's head was swimming the entire way home. The breeze felt good running through his clothes as he expertly directed his motorcycle through traffic. It wasn't a cold-blooded killer, or a piece of evidence left unprocessed that was taking up space in his mind -- it was Lindy. He had gone from hate to intolerance to concern and finally to attraction in a very short amount of time, and he was reacting to it by making moves he never would have made before. He thought back through other girls, and couldn't think of one he had ever let stay at his place when he left for work. And the post-its? Definitely not him. He wouldn't consider himself a callous person, but affectionate had never hit the bill. Until Lindy.

He parked his motorcycle in the usual spot and jogged up the steps to the second floor. He walked along the left side of apartments and when he came to the third door, found a petite brunette waiting for him, surrounded by grocery bags. She was tapping out a message on her cell phone, and he just watched her for a few minutes before clearing his throat. Lindy jumped a little, startled by the sudden sound and presence of someone else. Tim checked his watch; it was almost ten thirty.

"How long have you been waiting?" he asked, sounding much less pleased to see her than he really felt. The confusion he had been contemplating on the way home was showing through in his conversation.

"Oh, um, about an hour." Lindy stayed behind the grocery bags, as though they were some kind of barrier against the displeasure in her presence he was again portraying. "You mentioned there wasn't a lot of food in the place, so I … I was off so I … um … I'll just leave these here for you." Tim hooked her arm with his hand as she walked away and brought her back to stand in front of him.

"You want to help me carry these in?"

Lindy noted the apologetic tone and nodded. "Sure."

The groceries were carried into the apartment in silence, although it was a comfortable silence. They packed all the food away where it belonged, in miscellaneous cupboards, the refrigerator, the freezer. Tim carefully watched the items as they were put away and noticed there were no signature "chick food" items; sure there were fruits and vegetables, but the rest of it was right up his alley. He waited until everything was put away and the kitchen was back in it's usual state before saying anything.

"Thank you. You did good with your choices, by the way."

Lindy nodded and moved to gather the grocery bags to throw them away. "I do the shopping for my dad and brothers. My mom died when I was really young, so I have always done the grocery shopping and laundry and whatnot for them."

"So are you doing my laundry next?" Tim joked.

"If you're good," she replied with a wink. "I should probably let you sleep. I'm sure you had a long day."

"I did, but you're welcome to stay for awhile, if you want."

Lindy nodded. "I'd like that."

"Great. Tell you what, I'll make you dinner."

"You cook?"

"There were some things with directions, right?"

"Get out of here," Lindy laughed, pushing him to the living room. "Go take a long shower and I will have supper, or whatever you call it when you eat at eleven o' clock, ready when you get done."

"All right you've convinced me. Pots and pans are in that bottom cupboard there."

Lindy went straight to work, without giving him a second glance. It did feel good to just let the warm water wash over him. He stood and listened to the goings-on in the kitchen; Lindy had turned on the radio and was singing along as she moved about, opening and closing cupboards and setting pans on the stove. As he finished up, Tim Speedle wondered for the millionth time that day exactly what kind of spell this girl had on him.

_A/N: And here's chapter two. It was already pre-written, and I'm fairly happy with it, so I decided to go ahead and post it. I'm really nervous about keeping true to Tim's character, although I think the entire relationship is slightly out of character for him. Be kind, review! Thanks for reading. _


	3. Chapter 3

They ate dinner in front of the TV and mostly in silence, except for Lindy asking how everything tasted and Tim assuring her it was delicious. She smiled in satisfaction, and Tim fought the urge to reach over and hug her. They washed the dishes together when they were done eating, and then stood awkwardly in the kitchen, not sure what should happen next.

"I'm just going to go," Lindy told him, gathering her purse and shoes.

"Yeah. I mean, I guess it's kind of late, and I have to be at the lab in the morning." Tim nodded, not sure exactly why he was nodding.

"Okay. Well, um, I have your number, so, I guess I will … see you around." Lindy walked forward and they shared an equally awkward hug before she turned to walk away, although she didn't make it far.

Tim grabbed her arm and spun her around, pushing her purse off her shoulder and her shoes out of her hand. He smashed his mouth against hers, and she returned the gesture. Lindy was pulling him towards the bedroom, much less hesitant than she was the night before. He smiled as she quickly shed her clothes, then followed suit. They wasted no time in getting down to business.

Afterwards, Tim lay on his back staring at the ceiling and Lindy rested her chin on his chest, staring at Tim. She tried to read his expression, but couldn't place an explanation to what she saw there.

"What are you thinking?" Lindy asked. She wasn't sure she wanted the answer, but felt like Tim's answer to the question would be the tell-tale of where this was going.

"I'm not very good at relationships," Tim replied, with a sigh.

"Oh," Lindy replied quietly. She got up and pulled her tank top over her head, then tugged her jeans on.

"Lindy, don't leave," Tim pleaded. "I didn't mean that like it came out."

Lindy sat next to him on the edge of the bed. "Then what do you mean?"

Tim sat up so he could see her better. "I'm not really a sentimental guy. I'm not very good at making a commitment. Girlfriends, relationships, flowers, love … I tried it a couple times, but it never really worked out, so I quit trying. You and I don't know each other very well, and I just don't want anyone to end up with their feelings hurt."

"I understand that. I'm the opposite of you though; when it doesn't work, I just figure I have to try again, I guess. Don't get me wrong, that doesn't mean I've slept with all of them, or really many of them, to be honest. When my mom died, my dad did a good job of keeping me and my brothers with enough love, but somehow I still end up the one who needs to fill a void. It's stupid and sentimental, and I don't really expect you to understand because no one really does. What I'm saying, Tim, is that we don't have to just jump into a relationship. What if we just keep doing what we're doing and we'll see where it goes?"

Tim thought for a moment. "All right. I think I can handle that."

------

That night started a routine for them. Tim would call Lindy when he was on his way home, and she would meet him at his apartment. Occasionally they would go out for dinner, but most of the time, Lindy would make dinner while Tim showered. She didn't always stay, but most of the time, she did. On the nights she worked, she would call him when she got home so he knew she was okay. About a month into it, Lindy suggested they stay at her place.

"Your place," Tim repeated. He wasn't sure why he was hesitating; maybe because staying at her place made things a little more concrete. He wasn't sure why that would be a bad thing. They were still just seeing where things were going, but the days that he didn't see her were a little lonelier than the days when he did see her. When she worked and he had to make dinner himself, the apartment felt a little less homey. He contemplated getting a dog, but knew he didn't have the time to train a puppy.

"Yeah," Lindy replied. "Kerry really wants to meet you, and we always stay at your place. I just thought maybe, you know, the next step was to have you stay at my place."

"The next step?"

Lindy put the last dish in the cupboard and leaned on the sink. "Why are you repeating everything I say? Stalling?"

"Possibly," Tim replied. "Look, Lindy, I don't mean to hesitate."

"It's okay. You're not with it, it's cool. I tried, right?" Lindy shrugged. She took a Popsicle out of the freezer and asked him if he wanted to watch a movie or what, truly acting like his answer didn't affect her, although he knew it did. Tim had learned quickly that Lindy was the kind of girl who wasn't going to throw a fit in front of the guy she was seeing, and if she felt like it was coming to that, she would just leave, like the night he had confessed that he didn't do relationships very well.

"Tell me what you're really thinking," Tim prodded her, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"What do you mean?"

"Lindy, I know you well enough by now to know that my hesitation is bothering you, no matter how much you act like it isn't."

"Exactly," she replied. "You are getting to know me, and I'm getting to know you. As far as I know, we both still like what we see, so I don't understand why you don't want to progress this relationship. It's been a month, Tim. If this is just going to be about the sex, then tell me now. It's good sex, so I'm not going to walk away, but it would be helpful to know if we're just going to be … that kind of buddy instead of this going somewhere."

"It's not just about sex. You're awesome, you really are. If it were just about sex, I would've quit a long time ago. Ask Delko next time you see him. You've got me, and I don't know how to handle that. No girl has ever been able to get to me the way you do."

Lindy stepped closer to him so that there was only a few inches between their bodies. "You care about me, don't you?"

Tim was going to answer, then noticed the smirk on her face. "Don't give me a hard time about this, okay?"

Lindy chuckled. "I'm sorry, but if you could see how hard it is for you to be honest like that with me, you'd want to lighten the mood, too. I don't mean to make fun."

Tim reached out for her, so Lindy threw away the rest of her Popsicle and moved in to his embrace. He hadn't ever just held her unless it was after sex or leading up to sex, but Lindy had a feeling this was different. Tim _knew_ it was different; for right now, he just wanted her close to him. The answer to her question was yes, he did care about her, but telling her that would be too far out of his normal MO. He kissed her forehead then just stroked her head while she snuggled into his chest.

"This is nice," Lindy whispered.

Tim nodded. "It is nice. I'm off tomorrow and so are you, so I guess I'll come over for dinner and stay."

Lindy looked up to him. "Really?"

"Really. I want this to work."

She rewarded him with a smile. "Thank you, Tim."

--

Tim had to knock three times to get someone to answer the door when he got to Lindy's apartment. The building was not quite as nice as the apartments he lived in, but he was glad to see her living in a decent neighborhood; he would worry about her less coming home late at night like she did. When the door finally opened, a blonde girl with pretty green eyes gestured him to come in.

"You must be Tim. I'm Kerry, Lindy's friend." Kerry stuck out her hand, and Tim shook it.

"Yeah, Tim Speedle. This is Eric Delko, we work together," Tim explained. He looked at Delko shake hands with Kerry and could read Eric's face. Rolling his eyes, he went to find Lindy in front of the stove, stirring something in a pan, but also dancing to whatever music was on the radio. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck.

"You're pretty cute when you do your cooking dance," he whispered in her ear, sending chills down her spine. Lindy laughed and kissed his cheek.

"Thanks. I hear you brought Delko with you, eh?"

"I just, well, thought maybe I would need back up. He's in the living room, drooling over your friend."

Lindy rolled her eyes. "Yep, that doesn't surprise me. She's the pretty one."

"What do you mean?"

"Like when we were in high school and stuff, guys always wanted to be with her. The pretty one, the sexy one, the dream girl. You know."

"I see. And you?"

Lindy shrugged. "I'm just the best friend. I thought fajitas would be good for dinner. Sound okay?"

"Sounds wonderful. You have a nice place, by the way."

Lindy turned off the stove and made sure everything was in order. "Thanks. Kerry did most of the decorating. Food's ready, just grab a plate. I'll go get the other two."

"Okay." As Lindy walked out of the kitchen, Tim grabbed her and kissed her, lifting her off the ground a little with his embrace. "Thank you for making me dinner."

"I usually do," she replied.

"I know, but this time, you made it at your house and it's not like I worked or anything today. Even when you make me dinner at my house, I appreciate it."

It went a long way for Lindy to hear that Tim appreciated something she had done, so she rewarded him with another kiss. Tim smiled and set her down, allowing her to get Kerry and Eric from the other room. She found them in a very involved conversation, and her friend had a slightly pink hue to her cheeks.

"Hey Eric," she greeted. "How's it going?"

"Pretty good, what about you? Haven't seen you since Speed tried to arrest you," Eric chuckled.

Lindy laughed along with him. "He'd never admit it, but I think it was just an attempt to get my name and number."

"You were screwing with my crime scene. I could've cared less who you were," Tim corrected, yelling from the kitchen.

"Food's ready, Eric," Lindy let him know, still laughing. She and Kerry waited for Eric to leave the living room before speaking. "Kerry, you look a little flushed."

"He's _hot_," Kerry whispered. "You didn't tell me Tim was bringing a friend."

"I didn't know. Delko's nice, but I hear he's kind of a player, so be careful," Lindy warned. She and Kerry had been friends for years, and she would hate to see anything happen to her.

"You girls eating or what?" Tim called from the kitchen again.

"Can we not take a second to let our guests get their food?" Lindy shot back as the girls walked into the kitchen.

"Not when you're being all secretive in the other room."

"Then tell me about what you and Eric were talking about while we were in the living room," Lindy said nonchalantly. She received only a blank stare in return. "Thought so."

"Excuse me." Tim was getting into defensive mode. Eric recognized this in his friend and sat back to watch. "But I was not the one holding up dinnertime."

Lindy just stared. "Seriously? That's the best you could come up with?"

"Hey, you just … there's food in front of me. We'll put this on hold and finish it later."

Lindy rolled her eyes and Kerry giggled. The girls got their plates and settled at the table with the two men. The conversation was pleasant, and by the end of the meal, they were all laughing.

"So Tim's got to stick his hand down the toilet, and doesn't actually come up with any evidence at all!" Eric summed up his story of a recent crime scene investigation. Everyone was laughing, except for Tim.

"At least I was thorough," he defended, although Lindy did catch him smiling. She and Kerry cleaned up the kitchen while Eric and Tim enjoyed an ice cold beer, and then they all tried to decide what to do.

"I know a nice bar not too far from here," Eric suggested.

"That sounds fun," Kerry agreed. Tim and Lindy though, weren't as interested.

"I work in a bar every night, I need one night away," Lindy decided. "We could stay here and play drinking games if you're that interested in getting wasted."

"Oh come on, Lin, we never go out together anymore," Kerry begged.

Lindy shook her head. "This is my one night off for the next week!"

"Why don't you and Kerry go to the bar, and we'll stay here?" Tim suggested to Eric. "We all know I'm just waiting to jump Lindy anyway, and I can't exactly do that while you two are here."

"Timothy Speedle!" Lindy exclaimed, slightly blushing.

"I only speak the truth," he smiled at her.

"What do you say, Kerry?" Eric asked. "Feel like hanging out with a CSI tonight?"

Kerry only had to consider the possibility for a moment. "Sure, why not? We going now?"

"Yeah, let's go. We can take my car," Eric offered. They left the apartment after listening very sternly to Lindy's rule that if they were drunk, they were to call her or Tim to come and get them, but there would be no driving.

"You're being such a prude," Tim teased. Lindy shot back with a serious glare.

"Be careful, or I'll show you just how much of a prude I can be." She put her hand on her hip in much the same fashion she had when they first met, and Tim felt a tingle throughout his entire body.

"Oh, really? Well, keep giving that attitude and you may not have a choice," he informed her.

Lindy's first reaction was to giggle, but she restrained herself. Instead, she walked into the kitchen and started cleaning up from dinner. Tim tried to engage her in conversation, but she was having none of it. She would look at him, but not say anything. Her facial expression clearly displayed some kind of condescension, and after about five minutes, Tim finally realized what she was up to.

_A/N: I'm really having fun writing this story! Thanks for the reviews. I'm hoping to do more pre-writing so I can get chapters up quicker because this story is already looking to be longer than Falling Into You. Thanks for reading!_


	4. Chapter 4

Lindy giggled at the pictures falling when Tim pushed her against the bedroom wall. Her laughs didn't last long though because they were drowned in Tim's kiss. Her hands quickly unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it off his shoulders. His mouth moved to her neck and she let out a sigh of pleasure. Tim continued on to her collarbone -- Lindy's "magic spot" -- kissing from each side to the middle, then back up her neck to meet with her lips. She shoved her tongue into his mouth, not able to get enough of him.

"You weren't kidding about wanting to jump me," Lindy commented between moans and sighs.

"I told you I love your cooking dance," Tim replied as he pulled her shirt over her head. His hands found their way to her hips and he connected his lips to her body between her breasts. She arched her back into him, and he looked up at her with a smile. Lindy undid his belt and jeans, and pressed her mouth to his once more, backing him up to the bed. Once there, she let Tim take over, knowing he liked to be the one in control. He pulled her on top of him, and Lindy took her turn to kiss his neck all the way down, then move back up to nibble his ear. Tim groaned and moved to yank her jeans and underwear off, anxious to get started. With her leaning over him, completely naked, he couldn't stand it any longer. He flipped her over to her back and stood to rid himself of his jeans and boxers. Once back on the bed, Lindy pulled Tim to her, needing to kiss him. He indulged her, and while she was distracted by his kiss, he slipped inside her. The surprise sent a shock through Lindy's body and she had to try hard not to scream. Sweat was building up on both of them when Lindy dug her fingers into Tim's back, a result of the waves of sensation that were washing over her. Tim found himself in an equal state of satisfaction, and knew it wouldn't be much longer. The harder she dug her fingers in, the closer he was. A few minutes later, Lindy felt his entire body tense, and hers followed a few seconds later. They were both breathing heavy when Tim moved to lay next to her, a hand on her stomach. He kissed her cheek, then ran his fingers through her hair.

"If I would have known it was going to be that hot, I would've told you to come over a long time ago," Lindy said, unable to manage anything more than a whisper. Tim chuckled and kissed her on the mouth.

"I'm going to get a drink of water. You interested?" Tim pulled his jeans back on watched for Lindy's nod.

"I'm going to get in the shower while you do that." Lindy stood on tiptoe to kiss him one more time before getting in the shower. She felt like she just couldn't get enough of him sometimes.

Tim smiled to himself all the way to the kitchen and while he was getting the two glasses of water ready. He downed half of his and then refilled it. He just stood for a few minutes, thinking about Lindy. No one had ever managed to get to him like this, especially not a girl. He heard her singing from the shower and smiled, realizing that his heart beat a little faster. He remembered her asking the day before if he cared about her, and knew he needed to talk to her about it, so he set the two water glasses down on the bedroom dresser and stripped off his jeans to join her in the shower.

"Tim! You scared me!" Lindy gasped, rinsing the soap off of her body. Seeing her with no make up and dripping wet made Tim's heart beat faster, but it had nothing to do with sex.

"I'm sorry," Tim apologized. He kissed her softly, and she noticed the tense look on his face.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, I just wanted to talk to you about something you said the other night."

"And you felt the need to talk about it in the shower?" Lindy smiled. Tim smiled back at her, loving that her thoughts were the same as what his would have been.

"Not necessarily in the shower, but I do need to talk about it now while it's on my mind to talk about it, otherwise, I may not be able to bring it up again for awhile. You were trying to make light of the conversation, but you really wanted an answer from me when you asked the other day if I cared about you, didn't you?"

The question caught Lindy off-guard. It wasn't very often someone saw through her, but Tim managed to do it all the time. Because of this, she confessed. "Yes. I mean, I know we're trying to progress, and I'm really glad you're here tonight and you met Kerry and everything, but sometimes I'm still unsure where I stand with you."

"That's my fault, Lindy. I'm not very good at telling people how I feel unless it's an annoyance or something. I don't like to be vulnerable." Here, Tim paused, making sure he really wanted to tell her what he was thinking. "I do care about you. Really. I just don't want to rush things because of it and have you end up getting hurt."

Lindy smiled and rinsed out the shampoo she'd been lathering up while he made he speech. "Thank you, Tim. That right there tells me maybe you care more than you know. I'll let you finish your shower, and then we can go to bed. Okay?"

Tim nodded in agreement and kissed her before she stepped out of the shower. Lindy picked up one of the towels on the shelf and wrapped it around her, heading to the bedroom. She dried herself off and dressed in Tim's shirt before drying her hair some and braiding it. Tim's words had a wondrous affect on her heart, and she sighed as she snuggled under the covers. When they had first met, she never would have guessed that Tim Speedle would be the one man to be different from all the rest, but she found herself caring about him, too. She allowed her imagination the extravagance of picturing them together for a long time to come, and fell asleep with a smile on her face, which is exactly how Tim found her ten minutes later when he turned off the light and buried under the covers with her.

--

Lindy woke up when Tim's alarm went off the next morning. Normally she would go back to sleep while he showered and got ready for work, would wake up to kiss him goodbye, and then go back to sleep for awhile before leaving his apartment. This morning though, she wanted to do something different since they were at her place. She got up and made coffee, pulling her hair out of the braid while she waited for it to brew. Tim found her still in his shirt waiting with one porcelain mug and one with a lid for him to take to work in front of the coffee machine. Careful not scare her this time, he hugged her from behind and kissed her neck.

"Good morning, beautiful," he told her quietly, not wanting to wake anyone else up. "Did you sleep okay?"

Lindy's smile could have lit up the entire city. "I most certainly did."

"What's that smile for?" Tim knew she hadn't slept _that_ well, but wasn't exactly sure it was the sex either. Lindy turned in his arms and threw her own around his neck.

"You've never said that to me before. It just makes me happy to hear it."

Tim thought back over what he had said. "I've never told you before that you're beautiful?"

Lindy shook her head and released him from her embrace to fix his coffee. "I didn't really expect it though. I mean, not that I didn't think you didn't think it or anything, but that's just you."

Tim took the coffee cup from her as she shrugged, and with his other hand, cupped her chin. "You are beautiful, Lindy. You're the most beautiful girl I have ever met, and I should've told you every day for the last month. Just because it's not me, doesn't mean that you don't deserve to hear it."

Lindy kissed him. "You're going to be late for work."

--

Tim found Erik in the locker room when he first arrived at the lab. He noticed that Erik looked extremely tired, and took the opportunity to ask what was up.

"Late night at the bar," Erik replied with a smile. "Nothing else."

"Didn't hear you come in with Kerry last night. You couldn't have been too drunk if you were that quiet."

Erik chuckled. "All right, all right. Kerry came home with me last night. Nothing happened though, okay?"

"Nothing at all?"

"I kissed her, she kissed me, we fell asleep."

Tim nodded, shutting his locker. "Okay, whatever you say."

"Hey, Speed," Erik called before his friend could walk away. "You and Lindy … I don't know exactly what you're doing there, but hang on to her. I mean, I think she's good for you."

Tim nodded. "Maybe."

--

A few nights later, Tim had just gotten ready for bed when his phone rang. He smiled, knowing it was Lindy on her way home from work. He flipped it open and answered, feeling the now familiar racing of his heart.

"Hey," he greeted warmly.

"Hey you," came Lindy's tired reply. "How are you?"

"I'm all right. Getting ready for bed. You okay? You seem a little down."

Lindy smiled at the concern Tim was trying to hide from his tone. "Just a long night at the bar. How was work?"

"It was fine. I hear Kerry went home with Erik last night."

"Yeah, that's what she told me. She also told me all they did was kiss, but I don't know how much of that I really believe."

"I don't know, Erik told me the same thing. Think they'll make a go of it?"

"I think Kerry's a little unsure. I'll probably talk to her tomorrow, so I'm sure she'll say something about it."

"Yeah. Listen, Lindy, you sound really stressed out. Are you sure it was just a long night at the bar?"

"Yeah, um, Randy came in tonight." It took Tim a moment to place who Randy was, and then he remembered the night in the alley.

"I thought they kicked him out for good?" Tim exclaimed. He didn't like hearing that the bar was allowing patrons who roughed up their employees.

"So did I," Lindy replied, sounding like she was tearing up. "But I guess he made some sort of elaborate apology to Monica and now he's in good standing again."

"Where are you now?"

"The cab just pulled in to my apartment complex."

"Tell him to bring you here. I'll pay for the trip," Tim offered.

"Tim, you don't need to do that. Just leave the door unlocked for me." They bid each other goodbye, and thirty minutes later, Lindy had crawled in to bed with Tim. He rolled over on his back so that she could lay her head on his chest, and he put an arm around her shoulder.

"We need to talk about you maybe changing jobs," Tim told her. He was hesitant to bring it up because he didn't want to be controlling or even come across that way, but her safety was growing more and more important to him by the day.

Lindy sighed. "I had a feeling you would say that. I've never had a job anywhere but restaurants and bars, Tim. This is all I know."

"I know that you could do any job you got. I'll help you look, if you're up for it. I just don't want you to get hurt again."

Lindy sat up a little so that she could kiss him before snuggling back under his arm again. "I would very much appreciate the help."

--

Lindy didn't have to look long. The law office where Kerry worked as a paralegal was in desperate need of a new receptionist, and with some good words from Kerry, they were happy to hire Lindy. With the day job, she was able to fall in to a more consistent, comfortable routine. She was staying with Tim, or vice versa, most nights now. He couldn't remember the last time he had made dinner for himself, but he certainly wasn't complaining about it. Three months into the relationship, Kerry came to Lindy's desk with a huge smile on her face.

"You have a delivery, missy," Kerry announced, pointing to the front door of the office. A high school aged boy carried in a pretty vase full of yellow roses and asked for Lindy Sullivan.

Lindy blushed and identified herself. "Thank you, very much. Kerry, do you see the card?"

"Yeah, right here." Kerry plucked the card out of its holder and read it for Lindy. "It says, 'Three months today.'"

"He remembered," Lindy smiled. "He's never mentioned it before, and we're still not official. I didn't think he would remember."

"Call him," Kerry urged. "I'm not doing anything, so I'll cover for you if any calls or anything come in."

"Thanks." Lindy hurriedly dialed Tim's cell phone number, feeling butterflies overtake her stomach. More and more Tim was doing things out of his normal comfort zone for her, which made her hopeful that this may actual go somewhere one day.

"Speedle," came a gruff reply on the other end.

"Do you have a couple minutes to talk or are you busy?"

"I can talk." Lindy could hear the smile in his voice. "I take it you got the flowers."

"Just now. Thank you. I didn't know you were keeping track."

"Yeah, to be honest, I pulled the file on Randy to see when we booked him in for that assault. But I will remember now."

Lindy laughed. "It's all right. Well, I don't want to keep you for too long at work, but I did want to thank you for the flowers. This means a lot to me, Tim."

"I'm glad you like them. You know, I was thinking of something else."

"What's that?"

"I've never taken you out. I mean, we've gotten food and brought it back to the apartment, but I've never taken you on a date. Will you let me do that for you tomorrow night?"

Lindy thought her heart might explode, but then her face fell. "That would be wonderful, but my last night at the bar is tomorrow."

"Oh, that's right." Tim had forgotten. Since Lindy started working at the law firm so soon, she was still finishing up her two weeks at the bar. Tim had all but insisted she just quit, but Lindy informed him she never "just quit" any job in her life.

"If you don't mind though, I could come see you when I get off work," Lindy offered.

"Great. I've got to get back to this case, but I'll see you tonight?"

"You most certainly will."

"All right. See you tonight." Lindy hung up and looked at Kerry. She didn't even have to say a word.

"You're falling for him." Kerry's comment wasn't a question; it was a statement.

"I am not, he's just being sweet right now."

Kerry rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, Lin."

_A/N: We're heating up a little more in this chapter! For those of you who may be wondering, this will probably be the last we see of the jerks who roughed Lindy up earlier in the story, I just needed them to cause some concern for Tim. :) _

_Also, I apologize for not updating sooner; I have had this chapter ready, but I was in a car wreck last week (on my birthday, isn't that wonderful?) so I haven't been doing much of anything. School has started up too, but I will still try to post at least once a week. _

_Thanks for reading!_


	5. Chapter 5

Lindy sighed and looked out at the crowd from the bar. They were lined up around the corner tonight, and she felt as though the patrons wanting a drink or a dance were never going to stop coming. She waited for one of the girls tending the bar to fill her tray and ventured back out to the floor to deliver the drinks. It didn't take her very long, and then she was left to roam until her next request.

"Excuse me, miss." If Lindy had heard those words once, she had heard them a million times. However, she had only heard those words in that voice once before, and this time her smile didn't fade when she turned to face the one who had spoke them.

"You," she smiled. Tim approached her closely and she smiled up at him. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you, of course. How's the night going?"

Lindy shrugged. "It's going. We're really busy, and that line hasn't gotten any shorter since I came in. Fortunately, most people want beers and not a dance partner tonight."

"Good. I don't think I'd want to see my girl with anyone else. What about me? Can I get a dance from you?" Tim asked. Lindy didn't have anytime to dwell on his reference of 'my girl' because Monica approached them, and she did not look happy.

"Lindy, no boyfriends," Monica reminded her. "You know that. It's in the freaking movie and it's the most cliché rule we have."

Tim answered first by handing several bills over to Monica. "She's mine for the rest of the night."

Monica looked over the bills in her hand, and nodded her approval. Lindy turned back to Tim with shock all over her face. Tim could only smile and cup her chin before placing a kiss on her lips.

"You're worth it, Lindy. Come, on let's dance."

--

Thanks to Tim's generous payment, he and Lindy spent the evening dancing and drinking. They may as well have been on a date, and Lindy appreciated his cleverness. She stayed to help clean the place up, and then didn't even look back when she walked out for the last time as an employee of the bar. She climbed on the back of his motorcycle and Tim started it up. Lindy was growing more and more fond of the vehicle; she loved it especially on not too cold, not too hot days when the breeze blew in from the ocean and she could just close her eyes and feel like she was flying. Tim loved the feel of her small hands pressed against his abdomen as she held on while he drove. Sometimes, she would lean her cheek on his back, and he felt content. If gas were less expensive and they didn't have other lives to live, he would have rode around with Lindy all the time.

Back at Tim's apartment, Lindy immediately crashed into the cushions on the couch. Although Tim had rescued her tonight, working a day and night job had wore her down somewhat. Tim got her something to drink, then put in a movie for them to watch. Finally, he had her sit up long enough so that he could sit on the couch and allow her to lay her head in his lap. He absently stroked his fingers through her hair while the plot of the movie unfolded, and neither of them said much. Lindy was half asleep by the time it was over, but Tim still asked if she wanted to start another one.

"No," she told him meekly. "Can I ask you a question before we go to bed though?"

"Of course, beautiful."

Lindy sat up, waited for the head rush to die down, and took a deep breath before speaking. "You called me your girl at the club tonight."

Tim's breath caught in his throat. "Yeah, I know. I didn't mean you were, I just kind of said it. I mean … wow, that didn't come out like I wanted it to … what I mean, Lindy, is that if you're not ready for me to call you my girl, it's okay. To me, you're my girl, regardless, but I don't think we should see other people."

"Seriously?" Lindy exclaimed before throwing her arms around his neck and kissing his cheek. "I haven't seen anyone else since you and I started seeing each other. I haven't wanted to."

Tim smiled and kissed her. "All right then."

Lindy smiled as she straddled his lap and crushed her lips to his. Tim reacted in kind, running his hands under her shirt. Lindy's skin tingled at his touch, and she sighed into his mouth. She let her hands wander into his hair, intertwining her fingers with the dark curls. The passion that was building between them was different this time; both of them had accepted the fact that without a commitment, someone else could come into the picture. Tonight had changed their entire relationship. They finished their business on the couch, and then decided they were ready for sleep.

-----

Tim woke the next morning to something tickling his ear. He swatted at it, and tried to go back to sleep, but the sensation continued. His hand flew up again to stop the thing, and the reaction was accompanied by a giggle. Now knowing what was going on, Tim pretended to stretch as though he were waking up. He waited until he felt his fingers brush the cotton nightgown Lindy was wearing, then tickled her sides until she begged for mercy.

"I give, I give!" Lindy gasped. She rolled over on her back and reached to the nightstand for a ponytail holder. She pulled her hair back as she got up out of bed. "Do you want some coffee?"

"Sure," Tim agreed, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. He watched the gray material cling to her curves with every step she took, and smiled. Other girls Speed had been involved with lost their attraction when the make up came off, and the party clothes were no longer on. Lindy however, never looked more beautiful to him than when he woke up next to her. His cell phone chirped beside him, and reached to answer it while he pulled a t-shirt over his head and stepped into a pair of jeans.

"Speed, it's Horatio."

"What's going on, H?"

Horatio smiled; since Speed and Lindy began seeing each other, his agent sounded much more … chipper. "We've got another cross-jurisdiction case, and I need you with me in Vegas."

"When do we go?" Tim asked. Lindy handed him a cup of coffee and settled in next to him with the paper, trying to look as though she wasn't listening to the conversation, but he knew better.

"As soon as you get here," Horatio answered. "Our guy's on the move."

"Right. I'm on my way." Tim disconnected the call and turned to Lindy. "I have to go to Vegas."

"When?"

"Today. I'm going to get ready, and then go. Think you can, uh, check my mail and stuff for me?"

"Of course," Lindy answered. She finished off her coffee and dressed while Tim was in the shower. Once he had packed a quick bag, he took a key off of his key ring, and handed it to her.

"I guess you can just call me when you get in and I'll meet you here so you don't have to wait," Lindy offered. She shouldered her purse and put a hand on the doorknob, but he pulled her back.

"You won't have to do that because that is your copy of the key," Tim confessed, looking a little uncomfortable. Lindy smiled, knowing it was only because this was an even bigger step for him than making their relationship exclusive. Lindy kissed him soundly, not sure yet how she felt about him being gone for an indefinite amount of time. He held her for several minutes after the kiss ended, but then couldn't wait any longer. Lindy walked him downstairs where her cab was waiting, kissed him once more, and then watched him go.

-----

Vegas proved to be dry heat and an intense murder investigation. The perpetrator they were searching for committed another murder before they were able to get closer on his trail. Tim was in the field or the lab almost 24 hours a day; he only returned to his room after coercion from Horatio forced him to get some sleep. On the third night, he undressed, dropped on the bed, then picked up the phone to call Lindy, whom he hadn't spoken to since he'd been gone.

"It's me," he announced when he heard her hesitant hello. "I'm sorry I haven't called before now."

"It's okay, Tim. You're trying to solve a murder investigation. Hell, you had to go across the country to do it," Lindy pardoned him. She smiled and thought, _It is nice to hear your voice, though._

"Vegas has been insane. I've been in the lab or in the field all the time. This city really never sleeps. How have you been, beautiful?"

Lindy smiled again. He didn't use the name very often, but she liked it better that way because it never lost its meaning. "I've been okay. Work has been slow, so the days drag. I've missed you a lot. I didn't realize how used to sleeping with you next to me I was getting."

"I miss you, too. I have to say, also, that I miss not waking up with you next to me. An empty pillow isn't nearly as pleasing as you are."

"Ah, so you're a charmer even from all the way over there?" Lindy teased. "How's the investigation going?"

Tim sighed. "It's going. I think we're almost there, it's just a matter of fitting all the pieces together."

"You're a smart man. I know you'll figure it out."

"This guy we're trying to catch is pretty smart, too, Lin."

"Why is it always guys who commit murders?" Lindy wondered out loud. "I always hear you say, 'This guy we're trying to catch …'. Does it ever turn out to be a woman?"

Tim opened his mouth to explain one statistic or another to her, but a couple pieces of evidence and a female witness in the case crossed his mind, and the puzzle came together. "You may have just solved this case for us, Lindy. I've got to call Horatio, but I promise you, I will call you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay." Lindy disconnected the call, wondering how she could have helped with the case. She shrugged it off and wandered into Kerry's room where the other girl was lazily flipping through a magazine. "I just talked to Tim."

"How's he doing?" Kerry asked, laying down her magazine.

"He's good. I think they've about got their case solved. I'm just ready for him to come home."

"I can imagine. I don't think I've ever seen you in the apartment so much since he left," Kerry teased. Lindy swatted at her playfully. "Seriously though, Lindy, I was worried about you being with him for awhile."

"Why is that?"

"Well, you deserve a stable relationship. You know? I just didn't want to see you get hurt, and at first I thought Tim was sticking around for the wrong reasons. I got to know him a little better though, and I knew he was really caring for you. When you came home the other day and told me you guys are actually together, it was a big relief. Eric told me that night at the bar that he's never seen Tim act with any other girl the way he does with you. I see it, too. He's so protective of you, Lindy."

Lindy moved from her spot at the doorframe and laid on the bed next to her friend. "I feel safe with him. I haven't had that in awhile. Everything is so routine, so comfortable."

"Then maybe this is it," Kerry offered. She giggled as her friend tried to hide the enormous smile washing across her face.

_A/N: I'm SO sorry this chapter took so long. Between recovering from the knee surgery and the car accident, it's been a crazy time. I'm also working two jobs now, one full time and one part time, as well as going to school full time. I hope to finish this story up in about the same length as Falling Into You. I have an actual outline for each chapter, so I'm hoping that will help with the completion of the story. After that, I was going to start a story that combines FiY and STNC, but it may be over winter break when that happens. If any of you who read before are catching this … thanks so much for your loyalty! New readers -- hope you've enjoyed what you've read and keep coming back! Have a great weekend everyone!_


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